2000
#12,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,190
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Bella
An Italian surname derived from the word "bella," meaning "beautiful," likely referring to an attractive ancestor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,684 Americans carry the last name Bella. That puts it at #12,598 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,703 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bella surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bella with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 127,703
Census rank
#12,598
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,341 bearers of the surname Bella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12598th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bella, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bella
The surname Bella originates from Italy and dates back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Italian word "bella," which means "beautiful" or "lovely." The name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive surname to someone who was considered attractive or good-looking.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bella can be found in Italian historical records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in regions such as Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where Italian dialects and variations of the name may have been used.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Bella was Arigo Bella, a renowned Italian painter and architect from Florence who lived during the 14th century. His works included frescoes and architectural designs for churches and public buildings in Tuscany.
Another individual of note was Giovanni Bella, a 15th-century Italian merchant and diplomat from Genoa. He was known for his successful trading ventures and negotiations with other European powers on behalf of the Republic of Genoa.
In the 16th century, Vincenzo Bella was a celebrated Italian composer and lutenist from Naples. He contributed to the development of early Baroque music and was renowned for his virtuosic lute compositions.
During the 17th century, Girolamo Bella was a prominent Italian engraver and printmaker from Padua. His etchings and engravings depicted landscapes, architectural scenes, and historical events, and his works were widely circulated throughout Europe.
In the 19th century, Stefano Bella was an Italian poet and writer from Liguria. He was known for his romantic poetry and writings that celebrated the beauty of his native region and its cultural traditions.
While the surname Bella has roots in Italy, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the medieval era in various regions of the Italian peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bella
Among Census respondents with the surname Bella, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bella bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.3% · 1,365
- Hispanic or Latino25.3% · 592
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.5% · 223
- Black or African American3.7% · 86
- Two or more races2.6% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bella
Bella appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,999
+809 bearers (+36.9%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 2,215 places
2020
#12,598
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,341
-658 bearers (-21.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 1,930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,883 | 2,190 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,668 | 2,999 | 1.02 | +809 bearers (+36.9%) | Up 2,215 places |
| 2020 | #12,598 | 2,341 | 0.78 | -658 bearers (-21.9%) | Down 1,930 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bella surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,668 | #12,598 | -18.1% |
| Count | 2,999 | 2,341 | -21.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.02 | 0.78 | -23.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bella bearers went from 2,999 to 2,341 (-21.9% change). The surname moved down 1,930 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,668 to #12,598.
FAQ
Bella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bella?
Name Census estimates that about 2,684 living Americans carry the surname Bella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,703 residents.
How common is Bella?
Bella ranks #12,598 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,341 people with the surname Bella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,684), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bella.
Has Bella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bella went from 2,999 recorded bearers to 2,341. That is a decrease of 658 (-21.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,668 to #12,598.
What does the Census say about the background of Bella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bella, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.3% (1,365 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.3%), Hispanic (25.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bella (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bella mean?
An Italian surname derived from the word "bella," meaning "beautiful," likely referring to an attractive ancestor. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bella (0.78 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Bella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.